Gandhigram was born in 1947. A team of dedicated disciples and
contemporaries of Gandhiji, Dr.T.S.Soundaram and Dr.G.Ramachandran,
developed Gandhigram, the home of many rural development programmes.

The Gandhigram Rural Institute (GRI) was founded in 1956. With undying
faith and deep devotion to Mahatma Gandhiís revolutionary concept of
ĎNai Talimí system of education, Gandhigram Rural Institute has
developed academic programmes in Rural Development, Rural Economics and
Extension Education, Rural Oriented Sciences, Cooperation, Development
Administration, Rural Sociology, English and Communicative Studies, and,
Tamil and Indian Languages. Students who emerge from its portals tend to
meet the personnel needs for rural development under various
governmental and non-governmental schemes.

To teaching was added, the dimensions of research and extension in
course of time. This three-dimensional approach became a pioneering
model which earned appreciation from all over the country. The work of
the Institute invited national attention and the Government of India
(Ministry of Education), on the recommendation of the University Grants
Commission, conferred the status of a Deemed University on the Institute
under Section (3) of the UGC Act of 1956, on 3rd August, 1976.

Today, it has become a nationally and internationally recognised
Institute for its contribution to rural education, so much so that the
New Education Policy of the Nation reflects the principles evolved here
in developing the rural university concept.

Started in a small way, the Institute has developed into a big
educational complex, comprising seven different faculties, offering in
all about fifty different programmes. It awards Doctoral, Masterís and
Bachelorís Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates through its seven academic
faculties: Rural Development, Rural Social Sciences, Rural Oriented
Sciences, English and Foreign Languages, Tamil, Indian Languages & Rural
Arts, Rural Health & Sanitation, and, Agriculture & Animal Husbandry. It
has, at present, about 2300 students and 125 teaching and 250
non-teaching staff. The programmes offered here have attracted students
from abroad every year.

The Gandhigram Rural Institute is reaccredited with A Grade by NAAC.

Campus

The Gandhigram Rural Institute has a campus of nearly 200 acres in a
rural setting, nestling in one of the enclaves of the beautiful
Sirumalai range. To its West are chains of mountains including the
beautiful Kodaikanal Hill Station. Lying North of Madurai, Gandhigram is
easily accessible by rail and road. The climate of the place is pleasant
all through the year and the panorama of nature surrounding Gandhigram
is pleasing to the eye and inspiring to the soul.

The
nearest railway station is Ambathurai, the nearest railway junction is
Dindigul accessible by both broad guage and meter guage, and, the
nearest major town is Dindigul. The nearest airport is Madurai.